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The Rev. Jason McGuire, the executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, said this morning that the tight races for Sens. Stephen Saland and Roy McDonald shows that Republican voters were displeased with their votes last year to legalize same-sex marriage.

The conservative group based in Monroe County helped establish a ground game for both the senators’ challengers, Neil Di Carlo against Saland in Poughkeepsie and Kathy Marchione against McDonald in Saratoga. Di Carlo and Marchione opposed same-sex marriage.

“I’m encouraged. I think it was a big win last night for those of us who stand for traditional values,” McGuire said. “I can see the spin machine is already starting, people trying to downplay the importance of these races.

“The bottom line is we said this over a year ago: When the Senate Republicans betray their base, there is going to be a price to pay at the polls, and that is clear.”

McGuire said that even if Marchione and Di Carlo were to lose, the point was made.

“Voters care about these issues,” he said.

Saland held just a 42-vote lead over Di Carlo in the Hudson Valley seat that stretches across Dutchess and Putnam counties. There were more than 1,000 absentee ballots that were sent out, according to the counties’ boards of election.

Marchione had a slim lead against McDonald.

The third senator who faced a Republican primary, Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, won easily.

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